Ex-Coal Secy Gupta, four others get bail

New Delhi, September 4

Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta and four others, including a senior public servant, were today granted bail by a Special Court in a coal block allocation scam case.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar granted the relief to Gupta, serving public servant KS Kropha, who was a former Joint Director in the Ministry of Coal, Vishwas Sawakhande, earlier Director in the Directorate of Geology and Mining in Maharashtra Government and directors of accused firm Grace Industries Ltd — Mukesh Gupta and Seema Gupta.

The court allowed bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one surety of the like amount. “Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case coupled with the submissions made, I am of the considered opinion that interest of justice will be met if the accused are granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one surety of the like amount,” the judge said.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Lohara (East) coal block in Maharashtra to Nagpur-based Grace Industries Ltd (GIL).

During the hearing, all these accused appeared in the court in pursuance to the summons issued against them and sought bail contending that they have cooperated during the investigation and there were no apprehensions that they would tamper with the evidence or flee from justice.

Senior Public Prosecutor Sanjay Kumar opposed their bail pleas, saying the accused, being influential, can tamper with the evidence or flee from justice if released on bail.

The investigating officer (IO) told the court that he would supply the copies of the documents filed along with CBI’s final report to the accused today itself.

The court has now fixed the matter for September 21 for scrutiny of documents.

The court had earlier summoned GIL and these five individuals as accused in the case for the alleged offences punishable under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. — PTI